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No. 608,328. Patented Aug. 2,1898.

' P. 0. GUBMAN.

GATE FOR WIRE FENCES.

(Application filed Apr. 29, 1898.)

/@ wam? 9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC PATRICK O. GORMAN, OF JERSEYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

GATE FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPEGIFICATTON forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,328, dated August 2, 1898. Application filed April29, 1898. Serial No. 679,205. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, PATRICK O. GORMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jerseyville, in the county of Jersey and State of The invention relates to improvements in gates for wire fences.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of gates for wire fences and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efiicient one adapt-ed to be readily fas tened and unfastened to close and open it.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of .parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

view of a gate for wire fences constructed in accordance with this invention and shown closed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the locking-lever beingdisengaged from the z 5 lower keeper preparatory to opening the gate.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View taken horizontally of the upper portion of the gate and illustrating the construction of the upper keeper and the connection between the lock- 0 ing-lever and the gate. Fig. 418 a horizontal sectional view of the lower portion of the gate, illustrating the construction of the lower keeper and showing the arrangement of the locking-lever and the end bar of the gate when the parts are locked.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 designate posts of a wire fence, and

0 the fence-wires 3, which extend across the space between the posts land 2, are stapled or otherwise firmly secured to the post 2 and are detachably connected, by means hereinafter described, to the post 1, whereby they are 5 adapted to be taken down or separated from the post 1 to provide an opening in the fence and afiord a passage-way or gateway between the posts 1 and 2. The wires 3 are adj ustably connected by eyebolts L with an end bar 5, and. the said eyeboltskl, which pass through perforations of the bar 5, are provided at the outer edge of the bar with nuts In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective- G, adapted toad just the wires so that the same will be stretched to the desired tension when the gate is closed.

When the gate is closed, the bar 5 is arranged adjacent to the post 1, and it is connected with a locking-lever 7 -by a hook 8, located'near the upper end of the bar 5 and having its shank bifurcated to straddle the end bar. The sides of the bifurcated or forked shank are provided with perforations receiving a transverse bolt 9, which passes through the end bar and adjustably connects the hook to the same. The engaging portion of the hook, which extends outward from the end bar, is linked into an eye of a bolt 10,

which passes through the upper end of the locking-lever and is provided with a nut 11, forming an adjustable connection and cooperating with the adjustment of the hook to adjust the locking-bar relative to the end bar, so that when the locking-bar is arranged, as hereinafter described, for holding the gate closed, the fence wires will be properly stretched.

In looking the gate the lever 7 is fulcrumed at its upper end directly beneath the eyebolt 10 on a substantially, L-shaped keeper 12, mounted on the post 1 and arranged horizontally, its outer arm being disposed away from the gate. The inner arm or shank of the upper keeper is interposed between the lever and the gate, and the lower portion of the lever is swung toward. the gate and engaged with a lower keeper 14. When the lockinglever is engaged with the lower keeper 14, it is arranged at an angle with the end bar 5 of the. gate and the lower portion of the lever overlaps the lower portion of the end bar and forms a stop for the same to prevent the gate from being forced outward by pressure at the inner side of the same.

The lower keeper,which extends in the op posite direction from the upper keeper, consists of an L-shaped outer portion, which is connected by an arm 15 with a shank 1G. The shank 16 is embedded in the post 1, and the arm 15, which is horizontal, is arranged on the outer face of the post and extends toward the gate. The lower keeper supports the locking-lever and also the lower portionv of the end bar 5 of the gate and prevents the gate from being forced outward.

The invention has the following advantages: The gate, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is unlocked by disengaging the lower end of the locking-lever from the lower keeper and lifting or unhooking it from the upper keeper. lhe lower end of the locking-lever overlaps the lower portion of the end bar of the gate and operates to support the same when the gate is closed, and the devices constituting the gate are mounted on the adjacent fence-posts and do not necessitate the use of additional posts.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a post or support provided with upper and lower keepers, wires, an end bar connecting the wires, and a locking-lever connected with the end bar near one end thereof and detachably engaging and fulcrumed on the adjacent keeper and having its other end detachably interlocked with the other keeper, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a post or support, of a wire gate having an end bar, an upper keeper mounted on the post or support and extendin g awayfrom the gate, a lower keeper mount-- ed on the post or support and disposed toward the gate, and a locking-lever connected with the upper portion of the end bar of the gate and detaehably arranged in and fulcruined on the upper keeper, the lower end of the locking-lever being detachably interlocked with the lower keeper, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a post or support having upper and lower keepers, a wire gate having an end bar, and a locking-lever connected with the upper portion of the gate and detachably arranged in and fulcru med on the upper keeper, the lower portion of the lever being detachably interlocked with the lower keeper and overlapping and forming a stop for the end bar of the gate, substantially as described.

4. I11 a device of the class described, the combination of a post or support, an upper keeper having an L-shaped portion, a lower keeper consisting of an L-shaped outer portion,ashank and an arm connecting the shank with the L-shaped outer portion, a wire gate, and the locking-lever connected with the upper portion of the wire gate, detachably arranged in and fulcrumed on the upper keeper and interlocked with the lower keeper, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a post or support having upper and lower keepers, an end bar, wires adj ustably connected with the end bar, a forked hook adjustably secured to the end bar near one end thereof, a locking-lever detachably engaging the keepers, and an adjusting device having an eye to receive the hook and mounted on the locking-lever, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto allixed mysignalure in the presence of two witnesses.

PAT tICK O. GORMAN.

\Vitnesscs:

JOHN A. Sunrnann, IE'IER DOLAN. 

